french train tickets

[matadorpoeta]

i'll be in france in mid-april and would like to know if those of you who travel there buy your tickets from an on-line source before leaving or buy once you arrive in france. if you use an on-line source, which one?

thanks.

 

[rapdancin]

thalys is good if you're going long distances, i usually book online http://www.thalys.com/

 

[matadorpoeta]

thanks, but thalys won't work for me. i'll be traveling on corail but can't find a direct site for them. i found a site called raileurope.com but i'm wondering if it would just be easier to buy the ticket at the station.

 

[globetrotter]

where and when are you buying them? if I am buying a specific night train, I buy as soon as I get to the country (but I always buy there, never on line). if I can be flexible, I just buy the day I need them. I have never had a problem.

I used to ride night trains a lot in western europe. now less so, but still a few times a year.

 

[HORNS]

I'd go to www.tgv.co.uk. This is where I bought a package and used them at my discretion. At this site, you can get conventional rail tickets as well as the high-speed ones. If I remember correctly, you must receive the paper tickets in the mail before you leave the U.S., so you have time right now. I found it convenient to have that part of my trip out of the way and not worry about booking issues.

Here's the direct link that you need: http://www.tgv.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=1171

 

[Pangolin]

Unless you're traveling on a holiday or at certain precise dates where everybody takes the train to go to the coast, you shouldn't have to buy your ticket much in advance if you're traveling on Corail as they are these super long trains (not very comfortable) where you can always find a seat. I usually just buy it before leaving.

 

[matadorpoeta]

okay, thanks for the advice so far.

horns, the site you linked ended up being "powered by" raileurope.com, which is the site i already posted.

i was told by a friend who lives there that the price will increase as the date draws closer, but i don't know by how much. in any case, i'll probably use raileurope.

if anyone cares there is another site that offers the same tickets for about $20 less, but it is in french, the customer service people do not speak english or spanish, and i see no provision for having tickets sent to the u.s. (the link on the first page does not work if you choose etats unis.)

http://www.voyages-sncf.com/billet-train

 

[HHD]

You can buy Corail tickets from the yellow touch-screen machines in all the main rail stations (in Paris and elsewhere). You'll need a credit or debit card with a chip, though, otherwise you'll need to queue at the ticket office. The machines offer English translations. As the poster above said, unless you're travelling to a popular holiday destination during the peak times of school holidays you won't need to book in advance (TGV is different, seats require reservations).

Be sure to stamp your ticket before boarding the train - use the waist height ticket punchers at the end of every platform. In some stations these are painted orange but new yellow models are being introduced.